The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

That’s almost as crazy as the fact he has been gone 32 years.

And yet his fame may have never been so high as it is now.

Yes … I appreciate this has been ‘managed’ and certain ‘iconography’ has been drip-fed into society … but for someone dead, he doesn’t half feel alive.

A biopic movie [albeit with a to of creative licence] that made a billion dollars.

A Greatest Hits album that is the biggest selling album of all time in the UK.

More ‘billion played’ songs on Spotify than any other artist in the world.

Countless books, TV shows and tribute acts … where they always feature Freddie in his ‘yellow jacket’ phase, despite that being when he was more performer than rockstar.

Regardless what you think about the optimisation of Freddie as a ‘brand’ in modern culture, you have to say it has been brilliantly done.

I can’t think of many celebrities who achieved the same level of cultural presence, 3 decades after they died.

And he’s only going to be more in our daily lives as the auction of his personal belongings starts in a few days.

Of course, I can imagine Freddie would love it.

When he was close to death, he called the band manager – Jim Beach – and said this to him:

“You can use my image, music and memory in any way you choose … just don’t make me boring”.

Given he is more present than many people alive and on our screens, it’s safe to say mission accomplished.